Rob Evans will lead the return of the rejected when he features for the Scarlets against the Dragons at Rodney Parade on Saturday (4pm).
Samson Lee and Steff Evans, who also experienced the pain of being discarded by Wales for the Rugby World Cup, will join him in the side for the trip to Newport.
All three will want to show Warren Gatland what he’s missing.
They were culled from Gatland’s training squad when the final line-up for the global tournament in Japan was named earlier this month.
Few had seen Evans’ omission, in particular, coming.
The loose-head prop had started four out of five matches in Wales’ 2019 Six Nations Grand Slam campaign and been expected to be there or thereabouts for a prominent World Cup role.
But a succession of knocks this summer raised questions about his durability in Gatland’s mind, prompting the Kiwi to instead select 21-year-old Rhys Carre, a youngster who, the coach said, had barely missed a training session over 12 weeks.
It was a major call that plenty have deemed a gamble, sacrificing all the experience Evans has mustered over the years.
There will be plenty who argue the 27-year-old has nothing to prove, four years and 36 caps after his Wales debut, and the same sentiments might apply to his two regional team-mates.
But it would be a surprise if all of them were not on a mission to send pointed messages to Gatland 6,000 miles away in Japan.
Lee had been tipped to contest the No. 3 jersey with Tomas Francis. But his injury concerns this summer, after multiple problems over the years, evidently didn’t help his cause, while Evans had to contend with hot competition in the back three.
Their return to playing action beefs up the Scarlets side that will travel east to face their regional rivals in a pre-season work-out.
Head coach Brad Mooar said: "The engagement and their connection with the team and desire to be involved has been outstanding.
"They've been fully involved, they couldn't have done any more and that's about them putting in for a club that they love and players that they love and it's also them saying: 'Well, I need to be ready. If there's a break in Japan, that means that I need to be ready if I'm heading over to fill a role'."
Angus O’Brien lines up against his old team, continuing his comeback from the knee injury that ruined his first season in Llanelli. The fly-half played in the 49-17 win over Jersey last weekend, and the Scarlets will be keen to see the best of him this season.
Also on view is the promising Ryan Conbeer out wide, with Johnny McNicholl featuring at full-back and Evans making up a rapid back three.
For the Dragons, Ashton Hewitt returns for his first action since April 2018, with the wing recovered from injuries, while Sam Davies starts his first game on home soil. Rhodri Williams will captain the team.
Leon Brown, also chopped by Wales when they made their final World Cup call, is set to appear off the bench.
The two teams will play for the Worthington's Challenge Trophy.
Dragons: J. Williams; A. Hewitt, A. Warren, J. Dixon, O. Jenkins; S. Davies, R. Williams (capt); B. Harris, R. Hibbard, L. Fairbrother, B. Nansen, M. Screech, H. Taylor, O. Griffiths, L. Evans.
Replacements: E. Shipp, R. Bevington, L. Brown, J. Davies, T. Basham, L. Baldwin, J. Botica, W. Talbot-Davies, A. Owen.
Scarlets : J. McNicholl; R. Conbeer, C. Baldwin, S. Hughes (capt), S. Evans; A. O’Brien, K. Hardy; R. Evans, M. Jones, S. Lee, L. Rawlins, S. Cummins, T. Phillips, J. Macleod, U. Casseim.
Replacements: P. Price, D. Booth, W. Kruger, J. Helps, E. Kennedy, D. Davis, D. Blacker, P. Asquith, T. James.
